FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet

Each Outpost member may create a post in this thread to track maintenance of their vehicle, including PM, repairs, etc.
User avatar
gnat
Power-drunk moderator
Posts: 4171
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2018 6:54 am
Location: Lobby, VWGofA HQ

Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet

Post by gnat » Thu May 12, 2022 12:54 pm

FRUNKenstein wrote: Thu May 12, 2022 12:10 pm -Last timing belt change was on November 30, 2009. I probably haven't put over 3,000 miles on the car since then, but it is clearly due for a timing belt change. I learned the hard way that timing belts do break on these cars. I have the new TB/WP parts kit sitting on my workbench. I plan to do that over the summer.
Oh man, you do like to like dangerously! The belt going on an interference engine like that is seriously no fun. Not exploding IMSB no fun, but no fun.

We did that job on our first e30. Other than getting the shaft to stay put while trying to remove the fan, it was a simple (if tedious) job. Getting that fan off was a real PITA and I think I'd buy the actual tool if I had to do it again.

As I recall, doing the water pump was a "while you're in there" job that you might want to also consider.

User avatar
FRUNKenstein
Curator Extraordinaire
Posts: 3938
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:02 pm
Location: Wheat field, dammit, wheat!
Contact:

Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet

Post by FRUNKenstein » Fri May 13, 2022 8:49 am

gnat wrote: Thu May 12, 2022 12:54 pm
FRUNKenstein wrote: Thu May 12, 2022 12:10 pm -Last timing belt change was on November 30, 2009. I probably haven't put over 3,000 miles on the car since then, but it is clearly due for a timing belt change. I learned the hard way that timing belts do break on these cars. I have the new TB/WP parts kit sitting on my workbench. I plan to do that over the summer.
Oh man, you do like to like dangerously! The belt going on an interference engine like that is seriously no fun. Not exploding IMSB no fun, but no fun.

We did that job on our first e30. Other than getting the shaft to stay put while trying to remove the fan, it was a simple (if tedious) job. Getting that fan off was a real PITA and I think I'd buy the actual tool if I had to do it again.

As I recall, doing the water pump was a "while you're in there" job that you might want to also consider.
Thanks, and I agree. It broke on me back in 2002 or so, and I don't want to go through that again. I planned to have max$wag do it when he was home on Spring Break at the end of March, but somehow he never got around to it. It's definitely on my priority list for the next major project to knock out. IIRC, when looking at the DIY instructions, they had a hack for getting the fan off. The other tricky part appears to be the air conditioner compressor bracket. I'm planning to adjust the valves when I do the TB/WP. I just need to make it happen.
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red

2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver

User avatar
FRUNKenstein
Curator Extraordinaire
Posts: 3938
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:02 pm
Location: Wheat field, dammit, wheat!
Contact:

Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet

Post by FRUNKenstein » Mon Oct 17, 2022 6:27 pm

Changed the oil yesterday at 106,602 miles. I had a new oil filter, but couldn’t get the old filter off as I was short on time and didn’t have a strap wrench for the filter. It had been 2 1/2 years since it was changed, but only a couple of thousand miles during that time. So, the filter is probably still OK anyway.
I still need to change that pesky TB/WP, so I’ll do the oil filter swap then.

69D507A1-FA1C-4974-BA34-47372DF95509.jpeg
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red

2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver

User avatar
FRUNKenstein
Curator Extraordinaire
Posts: 3938
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:02 pm
Location: Wheat field, dammit, wheat!
Contact:

Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet

Post by FRUNKenstein » Mon May 01, 2023 7:28 am

I'm trying to wrap up the water pump/timing belt job now. Started last weekend, and all has gone pretty well. I've got the new belt on and am buttoning everything up.
My timing belt kit came with a new thermostat, so I went to swap that out Saturday. But what should have been the easiest part of the entire job (3 10 mm M6 bolts, right there on the front, top part of the engine), has now consumed several hours and required a stand-down awaiting a new thermostat housing and gasket. Argghh!
Whoever did the last thermostat swap (a professional shop - not me BTW) apparently didn't bother to put anti-seize on the bolts. Of the 3 bolts, one came out OK. I got the second out with some coaxing and the threads were badly corroded. The third, well, it was basically welded in place. The head broke off, but left about 15 mm of bolt sticking out. I used penetrant, heat, tapping the housing and bolt with a hammer and punch, more penetrant soaking overnight, but to no avail. It broke off. Then, switched to a couple of different types of bolt extractors and a couple of different brands of each. When I finally got a good bite on one, it broke off the corner of the mounting tab. I tried JB Weld, since the torque spec on that bolt is only 7.5 ft lbs. I was able to tap out the JB Weld, but the ear broke off again.
I should have just bit the bullet and ordered a new thermostat housing as soon as that bolt broke - they're only $27 along with a $3 gasket. I spent more on that for JB Weld and bolt extractors. Apparently it's not a big deal to swap out with only 2 bolts holding it on to the block. Of course, now my concern is whether those bolts are fused into the block. Update to follow once I get the job completed.

IMG_5374.jpg
IMG_5375.jpg
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red

2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver

User avatar
FRUNKenstein
Curator Extraordinaire
Posts: 3938
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:02 pm
Location: Wheat field, dammit, wheat!
Contact:

Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet

Post by FRUNKenstein » Fri May 12, 2023 3:29 pm

I finally got the timing belt/water pump project wrapped up last night. I got the first new thermostat housing installed on the engine, but promptly snapped off one of the ears when tightening the thermostat cover down. Turns out I had the thermostat in backwards. And it turns out that it doesn't take much torque to snap off the corner of a cast aluminum housing (I was using a small 1/4" drive at the time). Good thing is that Amazon has them for overnight delivery for about $29 including tax.
The odd thing is that the housings come with 2 extra holes that you don't need because over the years that the E30 was made, there were sensors plugged into different spots. I bought two oil drain plugs at Advance Auto that fit (when you use 3 washers as spacers). For future reference, the bolt size for those holes are M12-1.5 (fine thread), and the bolt only needs to be about 10 mm long (which no one carries).

I also replaced the timing belt tensioner.

The car has 106,850 miles on it now. I suspect it will only get driven about 1,000 miles per year (if that), so I'll get to do this all over again in 2033.

IMG_5404.jpg
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red

2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver

theprf
NG (Second 100 Outposters!)
Posts: 343
Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:33 am
Location: Central Mass

Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet

Post by theprf » Thu May 18, 2023 1:14 pm

That is an awful lot of part for only $29.
We get to change the thermostat housing on VR6's every 50-80k because it is plastic and is known to crack. If it is replaced with an OEM housing for around $150 it lasts another 50-80k (I keep a spare on hand at all times). Using an aftermarket plastic housing which is much cheaper it's good for about 10k miles. Several aluminum VR6 thermostat housings are available as "upgrade" parts. Although they don't fit very well and are not made very well supposedly they last OK. But they are $300-ish.

So that is quite a nice piece from Amazon for only $29.

User avatar
FRUNKenstein
Curator Extraordinaire
Posts: 3938
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:02 pm
Location: Wheat field, dammit, wheat!
Contact:

Re: FRUNKenstein's 1988 E30 Cabriolet

Post by FRUNKenstein » Thu May 18, 2023 9:08 pm

theprf wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 1:14 pm That is an awful lot of part for only $29.
We get to change the thermostat housing on VR6's every 50-80k because it is plastic and is known to crack. If it is replaced with an OEM housing for around $150 it lasts another 50-80k (I keep a spare on hand at all times). Using an aftermarket plastic housing which is much cheaper it's good for about 10k miles. Several aluminum VR6 thermostat housings are available as "upgrade" parts. Although they don't fit very well and are not made very well supposedly they last OK. But they are $300-ish.

So that is quite a nice piece from Amazon for only $29.
Well, they made over 1,100,000 M20 engined E30s, so economy of scale definitely helped.
www.kansascityautomuseum.com
Current:
2002 996TT X50, Guards Red
1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red

2006 955S, Lapis Blue
Other toys:
1988 BMW 325i Cabriolet, Alpin Weiss
1987 Bertone X1/9, Verde Chiaro
Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver

Post Reply